Fire-extinguishing building construction.



No. 792,794. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

J.- ROGERS.

FIRE EXTINGUISHINGBUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. so. 1904.

W AM? GPO ion :2.

W'ohmmowo y v I flttomws Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN ROGERS, OF PERRY, IOWA.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,794, dated. June 20, 1905.

Application filed August '30, 1904:. Serial No. 222,727.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN RoenRs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Perry, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Extinguishing Building Constructions, of which the following isaspecification.

The aim of this invention is to provide a dwelling, oflice, or other building with an apparatus embodying, essentially, a special arrangement of pipes and wall construction enabling the building to be thoroughly drenched, either wholly or in any ascertained part thereof, in the event of fire.

As premised above, the invention resides particularly in the construction of the walls or ceilings of the building whereby water may be fed through the water-pipes adjacent into any part of the building as governed by the use of suitable valve mechanism.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view showing building construction embodying the essential features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view, partially in section and partially broken away, showing more clearly the manner of attaching the inner and outer plates comprised in the ceiling or wall construction of the building.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in both the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

It is designed that the building be of any construction desired from an architectural standpoint, and water is supplied from the water-main 1 through a series of inlet-pipes 2, leading off to the various parts of the building, so as to ,supply the water in order to eX- tinguish the fire by flooding the rooms or apartments. The inlet-pipes 2 have the supply of water thereto governed by suitable valves 3, the latter being located adjacent the water-main and adapted to govern the flow of the water through the individual pipes leading ofl to the various floorsof the building or the rooms thereof. For instance, if it is desired to flood the rooms upon a single floor only of the building, the valve 3 of the pipe 2 leading off to said floor is opened, so that this floor only will be flooded in the event of fire in said portion of the building. The supply of water from the main to the pipes 2 may be governed by a main valve 4, and it will be understood that the various valves 3 and 4: may be located within the building or outside thereof, as determined by the usual considerations. In tropical climates the valves may be inclosed in a suitable casing entirely outside of the building, so as to be readily operated by a passer-by who might happen to note that said building had taken fire. In cooler climates, however, the valves 3 and 4c and the pipes for conveying the water are preferably located within the building, so as to obviate any likelihood of freezing. It is also contemplated within the scope of the invention to utilize any number of the pipes 2, and instead of said pipes leading off to the floor of the building, as illustrated in the drawings, said pipes may extend to any room or part of the building desired, thus enabling the drenching of any room without damaging the adjacent parts of the building and the furnishings thereof. The valves governing the pipes 2, which lead to the various rooms, would have suitable designations to indicate just what room the water-inlet pipe extended to. A valve having the letter K would govern the flow of water to the kitchen, the one having the letter D would indicate that the supply-pipe governed thereby extended to the dining-room, and so on.

The means whereby the water from the inlet-pipes 2 is directed into the various parts of the buildlng in such a manner as to thoroughly drench the same consists, essentially, in the peculiar structure of the walls or ceilings, and, describing the last feature specifically, it will be noted that the ceilings of the building, as shown in the drawings, are preferably made of spaced inner and outer plates 5 and 6, respectively. The plates 5 and 6 are peculiarly attached and are supported by the usual I-beams7 commonly employed in the ordinary construction of buildings. The plates 5 and 6 are spaced, as mentioned above, the spaced portion being located centrallythereof, as shown at 8. in order to attach. the plates 5 and 6 together and to secure the same in position, so that the outer plates 6 will comprise the ceiling or wall surface, each of the outer plates 6 is provided with a plurality of lugs 9, projected from the inner sides there of, said lugs having angular extensions 10 and being adapted to be passed through openings 11 in theinnerplate The openingsll of the inner plates 5 are somewhat elongated in order that the lugs 9 may pass therethrough and give a slight lateral movement by similar movement of the plate carrying the same in order to cause the extensions 10 of the said lugs to engage with the'inner side of the plate 5, to which said plate 6 may be attached. The lugs 9 thus support the plates 6, suspended from the plate 5, and these plates 6 are designed to be of any ornamental formation and can be made of art metal or the'like in order to promote the decorative effect of the ceiling or wall construction, as the case maybe. The inner plates 5, which curve between their ends in order to form the space 8, have their edge portions spaced from the outer plates 6, as shown at 5, and the spaced edge portions of the respective plates 5 and 6 receive the oppositely-disposed flanges of the I-beams 7, thereby affording a connection between the I- beams and the spaced parts 5 and 6, whereby the latter are held in position. The adjacent plates 6 are arranged with their outer surface flush, and these plates are provided with a plurality of apertures 12, through which the water fed from the inlet-pipes 2 passes in flooding or drenching the building. The apertures 12 may be of any form and may be utilized to promote the ornamental configuration of the ceiling parts, the essential feature of importance of said openings, however, being to admit of egress of the water through the plates 6, so that the walls of portions of a room, hall, or partof the building may be thoroughly drenched when the water is turned on. The plates 5 and 6 maybe attached to the ceiling-beams in any suitable manner, that illustrated being preferred, however, and very advantageous when I-beams are used in the building construction. The inlet -pipes 2, which convey the water to the ceiling or wall parts, lead into the space 8 between the plates 5 and 6, and this space 8 forms a sort of waterchamber when the water is admitted thereto, such water passing freely from the space 8 through the apertures 12. The openings 12 in the plates 6 may be arranged at an angle to a horizontal plane, so that the jets of water passing through the apertures 12 will be directed against the walls of the building more effectually to wet these walls in extinguishing the fire.

It will be understood that the construction of the ceiling in the use of the plates 5 and 6 may be applied to any of the walls of the building and is preferably thus utilized, same not being shown in the drawings for the reason that the structure is merely duplicated.

As clearly brought out in Fig. 1, an ornamental molding 13 may extend around the side walls of the rooms, halls, or other apartments of the building, and this molding preferably comprises an apertured part adapted to have the water admitted thereto, so that the said water can be forced through the apertures of said molding, thusassisting in the flooding operation. Suitable branches 2 of the inlet-pipes 2 would lead off to the molding parts 13 to convey water thereto. The molding 13, of course, will. be of any ornamental structure desired.

The apertures in the parts 6 and 13 may be formed at any angle, so as to direct the jets of water to any point desired.

The plates 5 and 6, which compose the ceiling and wall structure, are preferably made of metal. However, tiling or composition may be employed and will constitute a suitable substance.

In order that the water which may have been forced into any certain room in extinguishing a fire therein may be drawn off quickly in order to minimize the damage to the furnishings and building structure, the floors of the various rooms may be inclined slightly toward a central point, at which is located a drain-pipe 14:, normally closed by a plug 15. When the plugs 15 are removed, the water will drain ofl through the pipes 14 to any suitable outlet provided therefor.

It will be noted that the construction of the ceilings and walls, together with the arrangement of pipes hereinbefore set forth, is specially adapted for use in hotels, theaters, factories, packing-houses, and all large manufacturingestablishments where a large number of people are employed or congregated. The principle of the invention may be also applied to the construction of vessels, the ceiling and wall structure being suitable for the cabins, the decks, and the various parts of the boat. The invention is further susceptible of many other adaptations, and it will be noted that the various structural features hereinbefore described may be modified in accord with the general spirit of the invention.

It is contemplated that any suitable fire-extinguishing chemical may be fed to the apertured ceiling-sections instead of water. The chemical would be directed to the ceilings or walls of the building from any suitable source. 6

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In construction of buildings or the like, ceiling or Wall structure embodying inner and outer plates spaced from each other centrally thereof to form a water-chamber, lugs pr0- jected from the outer plate and engaging the inner plate to attach same together, water-inlet pipes communicating with the space between the plates, the outer plate being apertured for egress of the water from the waterchamber aforesaid.

2. Inconstruction of buildings or the like, Wall structure embodying inner and outer plates spaced centrally from one another and also spaced at the edges, supporting-beams having portions received between the spaced edges of the plates aforesaid, the inner plate being provided with elongated openings, lugs projected from the outer plate and passing through the elongated openings of the inner plate, engaging extensions projected from the lugs, and Water-supply pipes communicating with the space between the central portions of the plates.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ROGERS. [u s.]

Witnesses:

JOHN M. TYER, OLLIE V. POWELL. 

